Moments in a Pregnancy
by JACK5T3R
Summary: When a newborn arrives, teenage father T.J. Detweiler looks back on all the moments that occurred during the mistaken pregnancy as he adjusts to his new parent life.
1. Welcome to the World

Wow. So, I know what you're all probably thinking… "But Jackster, you barely update the other story as it is, wtf are you doing writing a new one?!" And I say "idk man." Lol, ok, serious time. So, believe me when I'm saying I've been working on a new chapter for Long Lost Spy, its being written out and all, but the idea for this story seriously just came to me out of the blue. And since then, it's been bugging me so much I've actually been losing sleep over how I should write it. And I'm pretty sure it had to do with re-reading Recess Fanfiction back from the olden days, and if you haven't read any of thesolitary-dragons stuff, stop reading this, jump to like page 16 in the archives for Recess, and read her/his/its stuff. He/she/it/whatever is seriously one of the best writers in the Recess fandom, and I guess after reading her story "Killing the daisies" I kind of got inspired by her style. Wow. Big chunk of Author note. Who even reads these anymore? Either way. I Digress. ON TO MY NEW STORY.

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It was a peaceful late night, the normally dark sky speckled with the soft white flakes of snow falling gracefully onto the streets covered in a thin layer of white. It was at this late hour that many were already snuggled warmly into their beds, getting themselves well rested to be ready for the next workday that lay ahead. Some would go off onto their mundane tasks of filing papers, typing reports, or making small chit chat by a water cooler. Others, more particularly the younger ones, would anticipate, yet dread, the school day. Though they bore easily as their teachers drone on, they quickly become excited once the chime of the bell rings, signaling either for the time to run out and play during the time of Recess, go off to make lewd jokes amongst their peers during the lunch hour, or excitedly run out as another school day ends.

Then there are those that are in between, much too old for such silly games that typically occur near a jungle gym, yet they're too young to have any such full time jobs where they force themselves awake through yet another power point presentation. These individuals were typically High school students, whose days of everyday schooling are eagerly coming to an end, and the doors to reality just begin to pry open. But while majority of these said high schoolers should be just logging off of their social media and crawling into their beds, one young man stood in a quiet hall in the local hospital. On many cases, when a high schooler was present in a hospital in such late hours, it would mostly be due to over consumption of alcohol, or they thought a certain stunt would lead to no harm. But in his case, it was different. Much more different than a norm for young adult his age.

The young man stood still in a clean quiet hall, the only real source of noise would that of the soft steps the nurses and doctors would take as they walked briskly by the man. The hall had little color, the only sort of decoration was the reprint of water colored paintings that hung every couple of yards on the pale pink walls. The young man had been in that hall way, or more specifically, in the spot where he stood for about 30 minutes now, unmoving. He had chestnut hair ruffled under a red baseball cap which he sported backwards. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his dark green hoodie, as his light blue eyes remained fixated before him. He had faded freckles spreading across his cheeks and nose, and a round nose that turned up a bit at the end.

In front of him was a large glass plane window, free of streaks or prints. On the other side of the large window was room that stretched out longer horizontally. In the room in rows of 6 by 18 were clear plastic cribs, and in most was a bundle, either wrapped up tightly in a light blue or pastel pink blanket. Many of the bundles squirmed as they cried out for some sort of attention. Others had wide eyes as they stared out at the strange world around them. The one the man's attention was on laid peacefully, his normally large eyes closed as his small chest rose with each breath under his blue blanket. The bundle fidgeted for a split second, but quickly returned to its stable posture. The man smiled at the sudden movements, but it soon fell, his eyes not once leaving the small form.

He heard the distant echo of footsteps become gradually louder and closer. He did not turn to look, assuming it was just another doctor on his way to make his rounds, but instead another form stopped and stood by him. The form was a bit shorter by a couple of inches, with black hair graying at the tips, an obvious bald spot forming at the back of his head. He had a thick mustache, some gray stands standing out amongst the black. He wore a navy blue polo shirt which hugged around the pudge of his small protruding beer gut. He had shorts of plaid design the cut off just above his thin knees, and white socks that were pulled up high enough to just reach below those very knees.

The young man knew of the older man's presence, but remained motionless and quiet, his light eyes still focused on the small bundle that lay just on the other side of the clear window.

"He's a beaut, ain't he?" The older man said, breaking the silence between the two. The younger of the two simply nodded his head, but his eyes remained still.

The older man shifted awkwardly, his eyes looking from the same bundle over to the man beside him.

"Hey, Um, T.J. Look, uh, I know things have kinda been rough between the two of us." The balding man started, his voice a bit nasally and high pitched for a man his age. For the first time since standing on the spot, the taller gave the shorter a sideways glance, pulling his attention away from the curled up heap, but he quickly looked back over to it, choosing to stay quiet as he let the man go on.

"But, um, ya gotta understand, I was pretty upset." The man bent his head forward as he scratched behind his neck, darting his eyes over the younger man beside him, waiting for any sort of reaction. When none was given, he decided to continue on.

"Well, I guess what I'm tryin'ta say is that I'm sorry." The taller of the two darted his eyes again, but this time they kept on the man beside him, a small feeling of curiosity brewing inside of him.

"I said and did things I know I shouldn't have, but I guess I let my emotions get the best of me. My pookie, she's uh…" Tears began to brim his eyes, but he avoided any eye contact, not wanting to let the younger of the two see him get so emotional.

"She's my little Princess. And I know you're gonna take great care of her, It's just so hard watching her grow up, and know I gotta give her up at one point. I just wish it wasn't so soon." The man sniffed, then finally brought his eyes up to the taller figure, a comforting smile hidden behind the bushel of his thick mustache. After some seconds, the younger man offered his own comforting smile, and in his usual friendly manner, laid a comforting hand on the stouter man's shoulder.

"Mr. Spinelli, I-"

"Please T.J., call me Bob." The younger man's comforting smile grew wider.

"Bob, I promise that no matter what, I'll always take care of Spinelli. And not just her, but the little guy too." He stated, his head motioning towards the window as he spoke the last part. "I'll do all that I can to make sure that they're safe and healthy, and they will always be my first priority. Spinelli has always been the most important person to me, even back in Elementary school, and I will stop at nothing to make sure she has a great life. It may be rough at first, but I'll do all that I can to make sure that later on, her and the little tyke are happy, and have everything they could possibly want. And if for any reason I screw up, I give you, Joey, and Vitto permission to beat me up in any way you'd like." The older man's smile broadened, his eyes once again becoming misty.

"Thank you T.J." Without warning, Robert Spinelli pulled T.J. Detweiler into a tight embrace. At first, T.J. was shocked at the motion, but soon he wrapped his arms around the shorter man, accepting the fatherly embrace. After some seconds, the two pulled away, each offering the other a smile.

"I know you'll take great care of her." Robert said, patting T.J. on the shoulder.

"Oh he better, if not he'll have to get an ass kicking from me too." A third male voice spoke. The two turned to the source and saw it was a rounder man that reached just below T.J.s height. The top of his head was also on its way into balding, and thin spectacles hung on the tip of his rounded nose. He wore a dark sweater vest over a white t shirt, and had a warm smile which seemed to lift any tension left in the room.

The two smiled back at him, and Robert squeezed onto T.J.'s shoulder.

"Ya got a good kid here Sam." Robert spoke.

"Yea, I guess he's alright." He responded, rubbing the top of the younger man's head, messing up the placement of his red cap.

"Well, I'll leave ya two alone. Gotta get back into the room, lord knows what Flo's doin' to bug our little Pookie." The two nodded at him as he began back down the hall. The two remaining men turned back to look in through the glass plane, their eyes immediately finding the bundle.

"Crazy, huh?" The older of the two asked.

"Yea."

There was a moment of silence before the chubby man spoke up again.

"Ya know, I remember the day you were born. Remember it like it was yesterday. Boy, you were a cute little bugger. Your mom would dress you up in the most ridiculous outfits too. And Becky, boy was she a headache, kept trying to sell you off to anyone passing by at the Supermarket. If I had known how much of a headache you'd grow up to be with all these stunts of yours, I woulda left you in the Hospital and let the nurse's deal with you." He joked, earning a small chuckle from the younger man next to him.

"Yea, we had good times though, didn't we?" He continued, to which T.J. nodded then looked over to his father beside him.

"Yea, we did." He looked back in through the window, and the older man grew serious, turning to look at his son.

"You know Teej, if you ever need help with anything, and I mean anything at all, your mom and I-"

"I know, I know. But we'll be okay. Honestly."

"Raising a kid is hard Teej, especially at your age. And especially since you still got one more year of school left."

"I know, but we'll manage. Her mom's offered to take care of him while we're in class, and mom is willing to help on the weekends while I go to work."

"It's not just about the time, it's also about the finances. Babies, they're a lot of money to take care of. And I mean a lot. And your mom and I will be there to help if you ever need a little extra cash, so don't ever hesitate to ask."

"Thanks for your help dad, but I think we'll be okay." He turned to look at his father and offered him a smile of assurance. The stouter man returned his own smile, then clasped a hand against his sons back.

"I love ya son."

"Love ya too dad."

With a final pat on his back, the round man turned and walked away, leaving T.J. to stare back into the room full of wrapped newborns. He stood in silence, his eyes once again glued to one particular blue bundle. The silence was soon broken when he heard the soft pit pat of several feet stepping their way towards him. Soon, he was surrounded by figures of his age, all but one standing taller than him. To his left was a dark skinned man standing just a couple of inches taller, who was currently sporting a high school mascot shirt which hung over his grey sweatpants, and his dark eyes were currently searching amongst the mass of bundles in the room before him. Behind the dark skinned man was another man, who was much bigger than the two, in both height and weight. He had shaggy blonde hair that reached just above his shoulders, and wore an off white shirt half tucked into brown cargo pants. He had blue eyes that were a tint lighter than T.J.s, which had immediately found the very same bundle his good friend was currently staring at.

On the other side of T.J. stood a young woman of a slender form, who was about a couple of inches shorter than him. Her auburn hair was rolled up into a clip, with a few strands falling out and hanging just around her pale face. Just like the man beside her, she also had the appearance of freckles fading onto the pale colored skin of her thin face. She was quite pretty, having a stylish look to her with thin lensed glasses hanging atop her rounded up nose, slightly magnifying her bright green eyes. She wore a long sleeved button up shirt tucked into a pale blue skirt that hung just above her knees, and a pair of black flats. Behind her was the last of the huddled group. He was a tall man, only about 3 inches shorter than the other blonde in the group, whose muscles were toned and slightly larger than average for a man his age. His hair was blonde and styled in a buzz cut, and his face was stern, yet welcoming. He wore a tight olive green shirt tucked into a darker shade of olive green pants, and black boots were laced around his feet. He had black thick rimmed glasses atop his round nose, and behind the glasses were dark green eyes, which almost matched the shade of his pants.

The five figures stood quiet in front of the window, before finally the darker skinned man wrapped a friendly arm around T.J.s shoulder.

"Well Teej, this is it! You're finally a dad!" He exclaimed.

"Heh, yea, I guess I am." T.J. responded, his voice slightly weak.

"Oh the Beauty this world holds! Look upon thee with your eyes, at how one act of true love could create such a beautiful creature!" The largest man of the group cried out, his eyes looking to be brimming with tears.

Suddenly, there was the sound of soft sobs, and the four turned to the muscular blonde standing towards the back, his face buried into the palm of his hands.

"Gus, are you okay?" T.J. asked, half worried, and the other half trying to contain his amusement at the scene before him as the large army man sobbed.

"Y-yea, it's just... just… So beautiful!" He cried out, once again burying his face into his hands. The other large blonde of the group stepped closer to the sobbing figure and wrapped a comforting arm around him, letting the man cry onto his shoulders.

"There there Gus, do not cry in this momentous occasion. Instead, weep of happiness for such a glorious life was brought into this world."

As the two blonde men hugged, the other three simply rolled their eyes and turned back towards the window, T.J. smiling in amusement.

"I must admit, it is quite fascinating, considering this was all formed by one microscopic sperm and an egg cell transported through one of two ovaries." The only female of the group spoke up.

The large man's sobs subsided, and they all stood motionless, their eyes all focused into the same clear crib.

"I can't wait for the little guy to grow up." The dark skinned man said, a smile growing on his face.

"Why's that Vince?" The female asked.

"Well, I'm gonna teach him every sport, and help him be just as good as his Uncle Vinny. I'll make sure to make him the greatest baseball, basketball, and dodgeball player in the whole playground." He replied back, winking at the female.

"Well I'm going to teach him the strategies of war, and all the weapons, vehicles, and aircraft used in it. Heck, I might even tell him some of my battle stories and reenact them with little army men." Gus proclaimed.

"Oh no! That's far too violent for such a small creature. I'm going to recite poetry, and read him the finest works written by the greatest of writers." The larger blonde spoke.

"I'm going to give him daily presentations on the contribution of science, and once he reaches the appropriate age of 12, I'll purchase him his first chemistry set and together, he and I could conduct experiments, and maybe even build an invention or two." The female piped, her eyes gleaming.

"What are you excited for Teej?" Gus asked, cleaning the lens of his glasses with his olive shirt.

T.J. smiled, leaning forward and resting an arm on the glass, his other hand shoved into the pocket of his hoodie.

"Me? There's too much to list. I'm excited to buy him a telescope and go star gazing at night. Or to slip on a glove and play catch with him after work out on our front yard. Or maybe I'm more excited for the day him and I come back from the lumber warehouse and we begin to build his first tree house, and as we nail together some wood planks, we think over all the names that it could maybe have." He looked over to his friends standing beside him, and his smile grew wider as he looked into each of their eyes.

"Guys, all I know is that the moment I held him in my arms, it was like there was nothing in the world more important than him. At that moment, I just knew that I had to do everything and anything to make sure he's happy and healthy. Yea, I felt that way about Spinelli the first time her and I kissed, and I mean really kissed, but this time it was different. At first I wasn't sure I'd be ready for this dad stuff, with all the stress about raising him and finishing school and all that junk. But at that moment, I just knew that her and I made the right decision. And honestly guys, I've never been happier in my life."

They all stood stunned at their leader's speech, each moved in their own way, until the silence was broken yet again as Gus broke out into another fit of tears, his arms reaching around Mikey's neck as he buried his face into the larger man's shoulders. "It's all just so beautiful!" He muffled into the man's shoulder. T.J. let out a small chuckle as he looked back in through the window, hearing as Mikey once again attempted to comfort Gus into peace with a few rubs on his back.

"How's she doing?" T.J. asked, speaking more to Gretchen than anyone else.

"After the extensive labor, her body seems quite exhausted, but she refuses to rest. She wants to wait until the nurse returns to make sure that he's in good health."

He smirked. "That's Spinelli for ya."

"Mr. Detweiler?" A female voice spoke up. They all turned to see who it belonged to, and saw a petite blonde woman, maybe in her late 30's, standing behind the large group with a clipboard grasped tightly in her hands.

"Yes?" T.J. responded.

"After some testing, the baby seems to be in great health. We'll be wheeling him over to the room in just a couple of minutes." She smiled at him, wrinkling the corners of her eyes as she did so.

T.J. nodded at her and smiled. "Thank you."

With that, she walked off and disappeared behind a door near them.

They all turned to T.J., large smiles of excitement displayed on their faces.

"Well" he began. "This is it."

They all caught site of a figure emerging from behind the door into the room rowed up with the newborns, and noticed it was the same woman who had just spoken to them. She took a quick glance at her clipboard then briskly walked over to the bundle whose taken the attention of all the group members. Grabbing a hold of the bar protruding to the clear crib, she unlatched the break attached to the wheels and began to wheel him out, the both of them disappearing behind the same door she had emerged from moments ago. Vince clasped a hand onto T.J.s shoulders and offered him a warming smile.

"You're going to be a great dad."

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After walking down the corridor and turning a corner, the group of five arrived at a room located in the middle of the hall, its door open slightly ajar. T.J. slowly pushed it open wider, and was immediately greeted by the two older man who had paid him a visit earlier. They turned to face T.J. and offered him their own warming smiles. They then parted to let him walk through, and he was revealed the backs of two older woman bent over the hospital bed.

One he immediately recognized as how own mother, with her chestnut hair brushed back, a light blue sweater and a darker blue skirt reaching just below her knees, her usual petite height boosted by a pair of black closed toe heels. Beside her was another woman he recognized to be Mrs. Flo Spinelli. She definitely stood out from the two, with her brown hair styled up in a large 60's up do, held back by a pink band. She wore a tight white tank top that hugged her every curve, and teal pants with a pink pattern clung to her shaped legs. He heard one of the fathers clear their throat, though he wasn't sure which, and the two woman immediately turned and saw the figure that stood behind them.

"Oh Theodore! He's beautiful!" His mother exclaimed, as she rushed towards him and pulled him into a tight embrace, her face burying into his chest. She then pulled away then grasped his chin, forcing him to look down at her.

"Now remember Theodore! He must be fed every hour and a half! And don't forget to burp him after! And remember, when you change him, always put a good amount of baby powder, and- Oh T.J.! My little baby is a father!" She forced him into another tight embrace, tears slowly falling down her cheeks.

"Mom, come on, you don't have to worry. He'll be fine." She pulled away and looked up at him through her misty eyes, her blue eyes searching into his.

"Oh T.J, how did you grow up so fast."

He shrugged, and smiled down at her. With one hand, she grasped at his chin and pulled his head towards her, and with her free hand she removed the cap off his head. Once he was close enough, she tip toed up and planted a kiss on his forehead. He stood up straight as she handed him back his cap, then placed it back onto his head, backwards of course. He then looked over to the other woman, and she quickly pulled him into her own tight embrace.

"Oh T.J., he really is beautiful." She pulled back but kept her hands clenched tightly on his shoulders.

"Now remember, whenever you ever need a babysitter, just call, I'll be happy to watch, no matter what. And if you guys ever want to visit, just let us know and we'll be happy to have you guys over. And don't forget about what your mother said, there is no such thing as too much baby powder. Now I remember back when Pookie was just a month old, Bob forgot to put some ointment on her little tushy and that night she ended up getting a big ra-"

"Ma!" A female voice rang out from behind, cutting the woman off of her story.

"Oh Ashley, sweetie, it happens to a lot of babies! It happened to Joey and Vitto too!" She leaned closer to T.J. and whispered. "Which reminds me, be careful trusting Bob with changing the diapers. He slips up from time to time." She flashed a smile, to which T.J. gladly returned.

"Thanks Mrs. Spinelli."

"Oh T.J., dear, call me Flo."

She stepped aside to let T.J. by. Taking his eyes off the older woman, he looked to the hospital bed, and his smile grew wider at the sight. In the bed, laid a young woman, whose raven black hair was messily picked up in a ponytail, chunks of it falling out from the grip of the elastic and hanging around her slender face. Her skin glistened in the dim lighting of the room, and her dark, almond shaped eyes looked down at the blue bundle nestled in her arms. Though her hair was a mess, small bags lay under her exotic eyes, and her skin was moist with sweat, she was still the most beautiful woman he's ever laid his eyes on. She pulled her gaze away from the small wrapped form and looked up at him, the corner of her lip curling into a smirk.

"Heya Teej."

"Hey."

She scooted over on the bed, and he sat on the space she made available for him. The two looked back down at small bundle in her arms, and with caution, T.J. slowly pulled back on the blanket, revealing the small round face that was hidden within. He had a small round nose, turned up slightly at the end, and short black hair that seemed to go every which way. His large eyes was shut close and his mouth was curled. He squirmed slightly in her grasp, his small hand reaching out above him before he snuggled back into her nestled arms.

The rest of the room stepped closer, and they all huddled around the two on the bed, everyone's attention being on the exposed face of the newborn.

"He's got your nose Teej." Vince spoke up.

"And he seems to have inherited your hair Spinelli." Gretchen spoke, pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose.

Spinelli brought a finger up to his cheek and slowly began to stroke it, her eyes staring lovingly onto him. The baby squirmed once again and with a small grasp, his tiny hand wrapped around Spinellis finger, clenching it tightly into his own.

Spinelli chuckled. "He's definitely got the Spinelli grip."

They all watched in silence as the baby lay still, only fidgeting around once or twice, until finally, for the first time that night, he pried open his large eyes, revealing the same deep blue eyes his father has. Many in the huddle gasped, all mesmerized by the light shade of his eyes.

"He's got T.J.'s eyes!" Gus exclaimed excitedly.

His large blue eyes wandered around his surroundings, stopping to take a good look at each of the figure huddled above him. His curious eyes finally stopped on T.J., and loosening the grip over Spinellis finger, he out stretched his arm towards T.J., his hands making a movement as if to try to grasp at something. T.J. raised his own hand and lightly took hold of the babies, his thumb stroking against the small nubs that are the baby's fingers. T.J. smirked down at him, and in a hushed voice, he spoke to the new born.

"Welcome home little guy."

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Whooooooa! Yay I finished! And sooner than I expected, which means now that I got this chapter out of my head, I can focus on my other story. Or at least try to. So hopefully, I can update this soon. This isn't a one shot, though it might seem like it is, it isn't. So now, go review. Reviews make me happy and inspired, and the more I'm inspired, the more I'm willed to write. SO REVIEW MY READERS, REVIEW!


	2. The Conception

Whaaaat? An update? Am I on a roll? Yea. Yea, I am. Go me. B) By the way, slight disclaimer, towards end of chapter it gets pretty mature-ish, but I tried to keep out as much detail as possible. Now read on my children.

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It was quiet in the pale pink room, save for the soft creak as a wooden chair rocks back and forth. T.J. sat peacefully in the said chair, his leg slowly forcing him back and forth. In his arms, the nameless blue bundle squirmed slightly, his arms often reaching out the blanket and grasping at the air above. His large light blue eyes gazed around at the world above him, his mouth slightly pried open in an o shape. T.J. smiled down at the curious newborn, amazed at the beauty that lay in his grasp. A beauty in which **he** created with the love of his life. He looked up from the baby to the hospital bed beside him.

Spinelli lay on her side with her legs curled up to her chest, her hand gripping tightly on the sheet pulled above her shoulders. Her usual dark eyes were hidden behind the black bangs falling over her face as she slept peacefully, her body rising and falling slowly with every breath. Hours before, their family and friends were awing at the child that lay in T.J.s grasp. Unfortunately due to hospital rules, they had to leave, leaving the two new parents to look over the child themselves. Spinelli tried her best to stay awake, not wanting to miss the first night with her new baby boy, but as tough of an individual she is, even she couldn't fight the rising exhaustion that overcame her.

T.J. smiled to himself, his eyes now admiring the beauty that laid in the bed beside him. It was still too surreal to him. He always considered himself lucky to have such a woman as Spinelli to call his own. She was no typical girl, choosing wrestling over "The bachelor", nights of horror movie marathons over dancing at an overly crowded club, or voicing her thoughts rather than hiding her feelings. She was a strong, independent, confident woman, who dealt with no one's crap. And it was because of her unique side that T.J. knew he was the luckiest guy in the world to even be with such a woman.

But now to have her child? Sure, he didn't want this for happen for another couple of years, and he regrets to have often wished of not letting this happen so early in his life, but now, with the child they created nestled in his arms, it was almost as if every negative thought he had associated with the situation dissipated. They're parents now. Young, maybe, but they're parents. Together. It's crazy.

His thoughts were cut short when he heard a small cry. He looked down at the baby bundled in blue and saw that his face was contorting into that of some sort of discomfort, his blue eyes beginning to glaze with tears.

"Oh no, no no no, please don't cry." He tried to reason. The babies face straightened, his eyes looking back up to T.J., almost fascinated with his voice. It looked as if whatever outburst he was about to have subsided, but once the peace returned, the babies face began to contort again.

"No, no no, your mom's asleep. We don't want to wake her up, believe me kid, it ain't pretty." He spoke up once more, and like last time, the baby's face straightened, but this time looked to almost curl into a smile. T.J. stared down, waiting for any hint that the baby might burst into tears. The moment his face began to change, T.J. spoke softly again.

"Ya may be new to the world, but you might be a little too young to see the wrath of your mother. Just, please, don't cry."

The baby's expression softened, and to T.J.s surprise he began to smile. T.J. frowned slightly, curious as to why the baby was suddenly hit with a mood swing, until a hint of realization hitting him.

"Hey wait a minute, you like the sound of my voice, don't ya?" He asked. The smile broadened, which only forced T.J. to form a smile of his own.

"So, talkin' to you is what's keepin' you calm, huh?" The young child's arms outstretched farther, almost as if to grab T.J.s freckled face for himself, the smile never leaving his face.

"Alrght. So, to keep ya from crying, I gotta keep talking. But what can I possibly tell a baby?" He asked, more to himself. The baby's arms lowered back into the blue blanket which wrapped him, his large eyes looking curiously up to his father, his head tilting slightly to his right.

"I got it. I guess I can tell you a story. Don't really know any bed time stories though. Didn't think I needed 'em yet." T.J. shrugged. The baby broke into a smile again, then looked over beside them. Following his gaze, T.J. looked over and noticed he was looking to the woman who slept peacefully within the white cotton sheets. Struck with an idea, he looked back down to the baby and smirked.

"I know, I'll tell you about how you were made. Don't worry, I'm not gonna get into the details. I'll just tell ya all about what happened that led to the moment…"

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**9 months and 3 weeks ago**

It was a warm spring morning in the small town located within the center of Arkansas. Pink blooms are just starting to liven up the trees and hedges that line the roads, and the grass's green hue is beginning to brighten. Right off the corner of Sparrow T. Agnew Street and 12th street stood a large, 3 story, dark red brick building, with the white words "12th Street High School" proudly displayed on the upper right corner. In front of the school, a large pole stood high, with the American flag dancing along with the spring breeze. In front of the school also stood crowds of teenagers, some standing huddled in groups in deep conversation, others ascending up the steps into the large yellow doors that was the schools main entrance. Inside the school, more teenagers of varying ages stood by the walls or lockers, each distracted by their peers or book filled lockers.

Down the narrow hall and to the left, one girl stood before an open locker, her dark eyes searching into the cluttered mess of wrinkled papers and messily placed notebooks. Her dark hair was messily picked up into a high pony tail, her well curved body hidden beneath a red t-shirt, undoubtedly taken from either her brothers or boyfriend, and jeans that reached to her black combat boots.

"Stupid lousy stinkin'…" she mumbled under her breath, her hands rummaging through the mess. A taller woman approached the frustrated teen, her auburn hair picked up in a neat bun, and thin rimmed glasses hung off the tip of her nose. She had slightly pale skin, her face and arms covered with faded freckles. She wore a stylish baby blue sundress, and pink flats adorned her feet. She was pretty, though tall and slim for her genders standards. In her arms were grasped thick textbooks, and a wide smile spread across her face.

"Hello there Spinelli."

Noticing the sudden company, the aggravated woman looked from her locker and looked over to the excited looking classmate beside her. She cocked her eyebrow at the taller figure, then laid a hand on her hip.

"You look happy Grundler." The shorter girl greeted flatly.

"Well, something exciting happened last night." Was the response.

The dark haired teen simply arched her eyebrow, smirked, and then pulled out the math book from the hidden depths of crumpled notes.

"Oh yea? What, your latest invention can travel to mars or somethin'?"

"We did it."

Spinelli stopped her search and remained still for some seconds, until she abruptly straightened up, her now wide eyes looking up to Gretchen.

"You what?" She whispered.

"Vince and I. We did it!" She repeated excitedly, barely containing her voice to a minimum.

It. They did** it**. Spinelli stood speechless, not sure on what exactly to say. She was surprised to say the least. Not just surprised, but happy. And supportive. And excited.

And confused.

"I- uh- I mean- Congrats?" She offered. Not being able to contain her excitement anymore, Gretchen suddenly lunged forward and pulled Spinelli into a tight embrace, a type of contact not often shared between the two girls. Spinelli remained still, a slight frown playing on her tanned face.

"Oh Spinelli, it was magnificent! I won't partake in the details, but it was a splendid moment that will forever remain in my memory."

Regaining her senses, Spinelli warily brought her own arms up and awkwardly hugged the taller figure back, though her mind was still racing. Sure, she was happy for her best friend. After all, she shared a special moment with her other long time best friend, and the two have been together for some time. But to do… **it**. And so sudden. She knew of others that were beginning to experience this sort of interaction, whether it be through the share of love for one another, or simply just for the fun of it, but now her own best friend has moved on to the bigger step. Her own best friend, the girl she grew up with, who she pulled all-nighters with in their good friend's tree house, who she excitedly raved to about the newest episode of Beany McChimp, who she reached for comfort with the death of her dog Scruffy. She's known the girl since Kindergarten, and now this. She's growing up. And Spinelli didn't know what to feel.

"Gretchen that's… that's great." She once again offered, though even she wasn't convinced by her own words.

The two pulled away, Gretchen's thin hands still clasped onto Spinellis shoulders. Her excited smile faltered, and a frown began to develop as she began to notice the unconvincing smile forced by her best friend.

"Spinelli, is everything alright?"

"What? Yea! Of course! I'm just really surprised is all." She offered a smile, but Gretchen didn't return one of her own.

"Aw, c'mon Gretch! I am! It's just big news is all! I'm happy, congratulations, really." Spinelli offered again, widening her smile.

"Are you sure?" Gretchen questioned.

"Yea I'm sure! Ya know me, ya just can't blow me with a right hook like that. So, how was it?" Spinelli smirked. As Gretchen opened her mouth to speak, a cracking voice boomed from the end of the hall.

"Detweiler! Get back here you little shit!"

Surprised, the two girls looked towards the source. Down the hall, a large group of teens were too looking towards the direction of the voice, and soon they immediately parted down the middle, and through the gap ran a young man, whose smile that spread across his faintly freckled cheeks displayed that of mischief. He had a hand clasped atop his red cap to keep it from falling off as he ran, and his unbuttoned green flannel shirt whipping behind him. His red converse rapidly slammed against the tiled floor, and his blue eyes caught sight of a familiar face. Quick to think, he ran over to the two teenage girls standing beside the open locker, and then pulled the math book from Spinellis grasp. Propping the locker door a little wider, he hid himself on the other side of the open door, his back pressed firmly against the next door locker, and he quickly forced open the upside down math book and hid his face behind it.

"Detweiler!" The voice rang out again.

The two girls pulled their eyes away from the hiding teen boy and looked back down the hall. Erupting from the crowd of teenagers was a large, overweight boy, whose pale skin was covered with bright red freckles and flashing glitter specs. He had equally bright messy red hair going every which way, though now it too seemed to be covered in craft glitter, and his large gut was snugged tightly into a one size too small black t-shirt, also speckled with craft glitter. After rushing out the huddled crowd, he looked every which way for his prey, completely overlooking his obvious hiding position, then quickly resumed his chase farther down the hall. Once he reached the end that split into two halls, he looked from his right to his left, and then sprinted down the left hall and out of sight.

Once he felt he was out of harm's way, the red capped teen cautiously lowered the math book and looked to the left where the larger boy disappeared off too. Feeling safe, he sighed of relief, and then completely lowered the book as he pushed himself off the wall of lockers.

"That was a close one." He mumbled.

"Gelman Teej? Really?" The black haired beauty asked as she pried away her math book from his grasp.

"Aw, it wasn't anything too bad. Just thought the best way to surprise the big guy for his birthday was to assemble a glitter cannon into his locker. If it was me, I woulda felt flattered."

"So, it has absolutely nothin' to do that he told your classmates about your pack of gum?" Spinelli started with arms crossed over her chest.

"Which in avertedly, sent them swarming to you for a piece, leaving you to be gum less by the end of the school day?" Gretchen finished.

"Jeez guys, whatever gave you that idea?" T.J. replied with a sheepish grin and a nervous chuckle.

"Glitter cannon huh? Gotta learn to make me one of those." Spinelli smirked.

"Well pretty lady, it just so happens that I was able to clear up my schedule today, so maybe you can pass by my place and I teach you." He flirted with a cocked eyebrow, as he passed a hand over her shoulder and laid it on top of the locker behind her, bringing his face closer to hers.

She replied with her own smirk and cocked eyebrow. "You sure know how to show a lady a good time."

T.J. began to lean closer to Spinelli, both of their lips just starting to pucker until a third voice broke them from their moment.

"Now you two. Though I am an avid supporter of engineering on free time, must I remind that we have much more important things to consider?"

The two let out a sigh and pulled away from one another, Spinelli rolling her eyes with a scowl and T.J. lowering his eyelids, as they prepared themselves for another one of Gretchen's 'think of the future' lectures.

"We only have a couple of more months of this school year, and sooner than we anticipate, we will be juniors. Though I consider every academic year to be of importance, I believe the junior year is the absolute most important of our school career. It is the year one must buckle down and start looking into possible choices of colleges. We must also study the recommended amount of 4 hours a day for our upcoming College preparation exams all while still keeping a good focus on our current school work. I myself have surpassed the recommended amount and I commit at least 6 hours of my day so that I may be prepared for the Scholastic Aptitude test and the American College Test. Furthermore, we-"

"Yea yea yea, we get it Grundler, but c'mon! That's not 'till next year! We've got plenty of time to relax before we think of all that junk." Spinelli interrupted, leaning back against the locker door.

"Yea, plus, I don't wanna be thinking of all that mumbo jumbo when I still gotta study for Mr. Harrisons History test." T.J. cringed.

The ring of the warning bell echoed throughout the halls, breaking the various huddled teens apart as they begin towards their first class of the day.

"Well, all I'm suggesting is that we become more serious about our future. Believe it or not, it may come quicker than you think, and it's always a well decision to be prepared." Gretchen spoke up once more, then after bidding farewell to her friends, she began down the hall towards the Science wing.

Rolling her eyes, Spinelli too started down the hall, until she felt an arm snake around her lower back and force her into a turn. Pressed up against his body, Spinelli looked up into T.J.s eyes before he tilted his head forward and they shared a passionate kiss. After some seconds, the two pulled away, T.J. with a boyish grin and Spinelli sporting her own smirk, lightly punching him in the arm.

"Teej, ya know I don't like people seeing me all lovey dovey and junk. It can kill the rep." She lightly scolded, taking a look around to see if anyone witnessed their brief moment of affection.

"Aw, c'mon Spin. Ya know I can't help myself around a beautiful lady." He grinned, flashing a wink.

"Yea yea, I'll see ya later." Spinelli pulled from his grasp and began towards her first class. She looked over her shoulder and saw that T.J. still stood in place, his eyes never leaving her. She offered one last smile before looking back forward. He smiled, more to himself, as she turned back around. Shoving his hands deep into his jean pockets, he turned on his heel and walked toward is first class of the day.

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T.J. removed his white shirt in front of a small locker, then shoved it in before pulling out his gym shirt. He currently stood in the boys locker room, and like his other classmates, he was changing for the days physical activities. Behind him on the other side of a wooden bench stood a large male, whose messy blonde locks went every which way. He was currently struggling to slip the gym shirt over his head. Having gotten a size too short on the first day of class, and not being the one to enjoy confrontations, he simply chose to stick with it rather than to tell the coach of his mistake.

Besides the large blonde stood another blonde, who was just as tall as the teen beside him, but his body consisted of well-toned muscles. He pulled his shirt down over his chest, then took his black rimmed glasses from his locker and placed them atop his nose. Upon looking down, he realized he had slipped on the shirt backwards, and with an inward groan, he pulled his glass back off and began to slip his shirt over his head.

Out of the corner of T.J.s eyes, he saw a tall, toned dark boy approach him. Recognizing who he was just from his peripherals, he looked to the boy strolling towards them, and immediately noticed a cocky grin playing at his lips.

"Hey Vince! What's up with you?" T.J. greeted as he pulled his own gym shirt over his head.

"Well, let's just say that your good pal Vince scored majorly last night." He cockily replied as he began to unlock his own locker right beside T.J.'s.

After successfully putting on his shirt correctly, the muscled blonde once again sat his glasses back onto his face then turned to Vince.

"Whatcha mean Vince?"

Vince turned to look at the blonde and smirked.

"Exactly what it means Gus." He shot him a wink.

Gus turned to the larger man beside him with a shrug, and the larger of the two decided to speak up.

"Did you make a touchdown?"

"What? No Mikey." Vince shook his head.

"Did you make a lot of points in basketball?" Gus tried.

"Gus, no."

"Did you make a homerun?" Mikey piped up again.

"Something like that…" Vince trailed on

"Did you bowl a perfect game?" Gus asked with excitement.

"I'm not even in the bowling team Gus."

"Oh yea…"

T.J. catching on, he looked to his darker friend and with awe he asked.

"Hey wait a minute, you don't mean…"

The cocky grin returned to its formal glory and Vince nodded.

"That's right Teej. Guys, as of yesterday, your good pal Vinny lost his V card."

The other three boys exchanged glances, and then with excitement, together they congratulated Vince.

"Whoa Vince! You did score!" Gus exclaimed.

"Our young Vince has blossomed into that of a man!" Mikey recited, wiping a tear away.

"Wow Vince! Congratulations man!" T.J. offered, slapping him a high five.

"Yea, I know." Vince confidently responded.

Then a realization came over Gus.

"Hey, wait a minute, so that means that Gretchen…" His eyes widened.

"Yea, uh, just don't tell her I told you guys, okay?" Vince asked sheepishly as he pulled off his shirt and replaced it with his gym shirt.

"Holy crap Vince, this is big." T.J. spoke up again, pulling up his gym shorts to his hip, then a thought hit him. Though he was happy for his good friend, he and Gretchen had been dating for a shorter time than he and Spinelli had. A much shorter time. So, how exactly did they get to that point? Sure, he and Spinelli have fooled around, but it always reached a certain point and never goes passed it. It didn't bother him too much, he enjoyed it, but he was a "hormonal teen" as to put it lightly, and he's often fantasized. As much as he loves Spinelli, it wasn't some topic he could just bring up. She was unique, and the way she reacted to things were much different than how a normal girl her age would react. Though he's known and dated her a while, he just wasn't sure how she'd react. He figured that maybe, if she were ready, she'd bring it up herself. He feared that if he were the one to bring it up, he'd feel as if he was putting pressure on her. And as much as he anticipated sharing a moment like that with her, he wants it to be just a special to her as it would be for him.

"Was it a beautiful moment of love?" Mikey asked dreamily, cutting T.J. of his thoughts.

"Um, sure, I guess?" Vince shrugged as he slipped on his shorts. He had fun if that's what the big guy meant.

"How'd you guys… I mean, well, how did it all, um…" T.J. attempted, his mind reeling to find the right words.

"How'd it happen?" Vince finished for him. Sitting on the bench, T.J. began to force his feet into his shoes though his attention remained on the taller figure and nodded.

"I dunno, it kinda just… happened…" He shrugged again as he shoved his pants into his locker.

"Y'mean ya guys didn't talk about or something?" T.J. inquired.

Vince shook his head. "Nah, it was just in the moment."

"I remember the first time I did it." Gus piped up from behind them. Shocked, the two boys looked to him.

"Gus, you lost your virginity too?" T.J. asked, astonished.

"Yea. With Teresa of course. It happened a while ago. Her and I have been stronger since." Gus beamed proudly.

"I have yet to be a part of such a momentous act of love." Mikey spoke dramatically. "I choose to wait for the one I will truly love."

"Good for you Mikey." Gus praised.

"Why, thank you dear Gus."

Vince, Gus, and Mikey looked expectedly towards T.J.s, whose full attention was now on lacing his sneakers a top the wooden bench. When he noticed the sudden silence amongst his friends, he looked up and saw as they all stared and waited. Looking from one to the other, he frowned slightly.

"What?"

"What about you?" Gus asked.

"What about me?"

"When was your first time?" Vince questioned.

His frown deepened, then bashfully he looked back down to his sneakers.

"I've never done it."

Slightly taken aback, the three boys exchanged glances of surprise. Surely, for how long he and Spinelli have dated, they must have done it by now, right? They returned their attention back to their leader with perplexed expressions.

"Y'mean, you and Spinelli…?" Mikey trailed.

"Nope."

"So you're still-"

"A virgin!" Gus exclaimed in surprise, a little louder than anticipated.

T.J. whipped his head around and looked to Gus with wide eyes.

"Gus! Shhh!"

But it was too late.

"Did I hear right? Did I just hear that Det-weiner is still a little virgin?" A pompous voice spoke behind T.J.

Sighing and slowly closing his eyes, T.J. warily turned on the bench and once his eyes slowly pried open, he saw the very last person he'd want knowing of his lack of sexual intercourse.

Standing with fists laid atop his hips, was a tall figure already sported in the gym apparel. He had a blue cap propped atop his head, with auburn hair sticking out from the sides. His smirking face was dashed with freckles, and he stood between two other boys, each sporting their own smug grin.

"Well well well, looks like Mr. popular boy has never even had sex! What a joke!"

"What do you want Lawson?" T.J. seethed.

"I wanna know how you're still a virgin. Haven't you been dating Spin-ugly since, like, Middle School?"

"Screw off Lawson, it's none of your business." Vince defended.

"You're like 16 years old and you're still a virgin?" Lawson teased again, his grin growing wider. Oh how he was enjoying this moment.

"I'm 16, and I'm still a virgin. And I choose to stay that way until I find the one I love." Mikey piped proudly.

Lawson snorted. "I woulda expected that from you ya big fatty, but Det-loser?"

Mikey looked down in defeat.

"Who cares if he's one? It's not a big deal." Vince tried again.

"Not a big deal? Guys, are you hearing this?! Not a big deal!" He whipped his head back in laughter, followed by his two goons, each clasping at their stomachs.

"You're the guy everyone looks up to and you're still a virgin. How pathetic." Lawson pushed, wiping a tear from his eye. "This is just too good."

"Fuck off Lawson, alright? It's not like it's a race." T.J. argued, jumping up from the bench with tightened fists.

"Yea, whatever virgin boy. C'mon guys." Lawson turned on his heel and walked off, his hand pulling a cell phone out of his pocket as his two goons followed close behind.

"Man, ignore that guy. He's just an ass." Vince reasoned as he slammed his locker shut.

"Yea, whatever." T.J. slammed his own locker closed and walked towards the gym, his 3 friends following close behind.

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Spinelli sat with her head propped on the desk, her dark eyes staring out the second floor window as her teacher droned on about gibberish associated with numbers. It was usually during this time that Spinelli would drift off to sleep, but her mind was filled with racing thoughts. Her own best friend had lost her virginity. Gone is the innocence hidden with her, as her acts brought her closer to being an adult. She should be happy for her best friend. It was a special moment for her, and judging from her excitement, she had no regrets. So why, why was it eating at her?

She's thought about **it** before, and plenty of times. But she never wanted to commit to acting upon it. As much as she hated to admit, even to herself, she was… scared. No, not of the stinging pain she's heard that comes with it, she's a Spinelli, should could endure pain. But of what could possibly happen during or after. She'd be giving up the last bit of innocence she tried so hard to hold on to. She was ashamed of it, but even she feared the future. Colleges, placement exams, going out into the real world. These were things that were thrown at her much quicker then she'd like. Like her best friend had lectured earlier, the future is coming quick, and she wasn't even sure if she was ready for it. She tried for these past years to hold on to the miniscule childhood she had left. She still woke up early Saturday mornings just to watch cartoons, unbeknownst to her own best friends, and as embarrassing as it was, she still clenched tightly on her stuffed monkey Mr. Monk Monk on the nights she struggled to sleep. To have sex was just a step closer to becoming an adult, and she didn't like the thought.

On top of that, what if she regret it after? So many things could happen after. Not just to her, but between her and T.J. She knows that when the moment came, she'd want T.J. to be the one to share it with. But what if instead of it bringing them closer, it just pushes them apart? Sure, her and T.J. were close, and have been since back in Kindergarten. It was a risk to even date him, but here, they stood strong. That alone should be enough that one act of sharing their love wouldn't put harm between them, but there's always that chance. She's heard the hallway stories of how couples would share their bodies with one another, only to break up days after. What if it happened to her and T.J.?

A fit of giggles broke her deep thoughts. Looking up to the source, she looked to 4 girls she's grown to loathe who sat bunched together in the center of the classroom, much to her dismay. One of the four girls had straight blonde hair held back by a pale pink head band. She wore a matching pale pink crop top that hugged the slim curves of her body, and her arms hid within a small grey jacket. Her legs were shaped into pristine white pants and her perfectly pedicured feet were adorned with pink sandals. She was the leader of the clique, and it was she that Spinelli felt the most animosity towards.

Beside her sat a darker figure, whose black bunches of curls was cascading down her back. A bright yellow loose tank stood out from her dark skin, and her dark legs were somewhat revealed under a darker shade of yellow skirt. Her own pedicured feet were hidden by yellow flats. She was the self-appointed co-leader, and in Spinellis opinion, could sometimes out cruel the leader. She was the one who, at one point, kicked the leader out of the clique back in the fourth grade when she wore the wrong colors on a special day. She was often the one who came up with the plans that though benefitted themselves, made the subject of those said plans suffered the most. For that, she was the second person on Spinellis hate list.

Behind her sat a lighter skinned girl, with red hair braided and falling over her right shoulder. She wore a simple baby blue sundress, with a thin black belt wrapped around her thin waist. Her legs were crossed, and she wore simple black stilettos that often made Spinelli wonder how she could even walk without tripping about. She was the athletic of the group, having proved her skill back in fourth grade when she managed to kick a far homerun, leaving one of her good friends wondering of his own athletic ability.

The last of the group was the quietest, and for that, was the one Spinelli hated the least. She had lightly tanned skin, and curled strands that were picked up in a high bun. She wore a light green tank top beneath a darker green thin sweater. Like the leaders, her own well shaped legs were curved within a matching light green pants, and her feet snugged within dark green flats.

The four girls sat huddled around the leader's phone, each muffling a giggle to the best of their abilities. Suddenly, they all turned in their seats and looked towards Spinelli, their lips curled into malicious smirks. Confused, Spinelli frowned at them, and they immediately turned back towards each other, breaking into another fit of high pitched giggles.

"What the hell are you powderpuffs laughin' at…?" Spinelli mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her seat.

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The rest of the class passed somewhat uneventful, save for some people turning in their seats just to look at her, which only led her to become aggravated. Once the bell rang, she jumped out her seat, and slinging her backpack over her shoulder, walked out briskly. As she began towards her second class, she noticed a sudden amount of people watching her as she walked, some of them leaning closer to their peers to whisper as she passed. Her frown deepened as more and more people kept their eyes on her, some of them looking with amused grins, others with a look that almost seemed like sympathy. Frustrated, she turned to the nearest huddled group who shared into the staring and cried out.

"What the hell are ya guys lookin' at?"

"Only at like, the saddest 16 year old in High School." A voice spoke from behind her.

Rolling her eyes, Spinelli turned and was unfortunately greeted by the sight of 4 girls standing in a line, all of them shooting her the same pompous smirks they shot during class.

"What the hell are ya gettin' at Powder puff?" She shot to leader Ashley A.

"I just can't like, believe that Grundler lost it before you, like, did." The darkest figure of the 4 spoke out, crossing her own arms over her chest.

Spinellis frowned deepened. What did Gretchen have to do with this?

"The hell are ya guys talkin' about?" She tried again, her anger and confusion growing stronger as her fists tightened.

The blonde stepped forward with her phone grasped tightly in her manicured hand.

"Who would have like, expected that the power couple still haven't like, had sex?" She spat.

Spinellis confusion was quickly replaced with shock as her eyes widened, the grip on her fists loosening.

"Well, who would like, do Spinelli anyways?" Ashley Q. shot from behind.

Spinelli looked to each of the girls before finally setting on Ashley A., who now stood just before her.

"How'd you-"

Before she could finish, Ashley A. shot up her arm and faced the screen of her phone to Spinelli. Looking down to the touch screen, she immediately recognized the contact picture to that of Lawson, and from what she could see, he seemed to have sent a mass text about an hour earlier. But what really stood out to her was that the text he had sent. It held words that pertained to her personal life, and as many times as she read over and over, she had hoped that she read wrong. But with each re-reading, she'd only confirm on what she read, forcing her chest to feel heavier and heavier.

"**Det-weiner and Spin-ugly are still VIRGINS!"**

Her shoulders lowered, her eyes slowly looking away from the screen, not wanting to read those words anymore. Ashley A. pulled her phone back and looked smugly down at the shorter Ashley. She didn't know what to feel. She didn't even know how to react. The whole school, or at least the more popular kids, knew that she was still, in fact, a virgin. Should she be angry that her privacy was invaded? Or should she feel embarrassed that so many now knew? If one emotion out ranked the others, it was definitely her shock. How in the world had he learned of such private information? T.J. and she weren't typically the ones to talk freely about it.

Well, at least, she knew she wasn't the one to talk so freely about it.

"It's okay Spinugly, at least you're not like, the only virgin in the school. I hear the pale kids have never even kissed girls." Ashley A. broke into a cruel high pitched laugh, the other Ashleys following suit. With lowered brows and tightening fists, her shock has dissipated and quickly her anger returned.

"Why you little…" She began to lunge forward, forcing Ashley to cry out. But she wasn't a top the girl swinging her fists the way she should be. Instead, she was forced back by a strong grip around her waist. Turning to see who would even stop her from her attack, she quickly recognized the freckled face with the red cap sported backward.

"Teej! Let me at her!"

"No Spinelli." He told her sternly.

"But Teej! She knows that we're-"

"I know Spinelli."

Her shoulders dropped as she stared confused up at him. He took his light eyes off her and redirected them to the flustered blonde standing before them.

"If I we're you, I'd get out of here."

Trying to regain her cool, she quickly straightened her hair and top, then poking her nose up, she quickly walked by the bound two with a 'hmph', the other Ashleys rushing behind her. The last of the Ashleys, Ashley T., shot Spinelli a sympathetic look as she rushed by. Once he felt they were far enough, he loosened his grip around his petite girlfriend, to which she quickly pulled away.

"Teej, what the hell! What the hell is goin' on?"

Taking notice of the stares, he grabbed her by the wrist and led her to a more secluded hallway. Once they had a bit more privacy, she turned to him with crossed arms and looked up at him with an expectant stare.

"How the hell does Lawson know?" She shot.

"Look Spin, I just wanted to say I'm sorry." He tried, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry?" She raised her eyebrows. "Sorry for what exactly?"

He let out a sigh, looking around to make sure no one was within listening distance.

"Sorry for what Teej?" She interrogated again.

"I… might have let it slip out…"

She lowered her arms to her sides as her eyes squeezed into angry slits.

"You what?" She whispered harshly.

"I let it out! I mean, it was just for the guys, I didn't mean for him to hear."

She frowned. "What are you doing tellin' the guys about our private life?"

"I didn't mean to! It was just Vince came in talking about he and Gretchen and- well- we all just started talking and-" He let out a defeated sigh. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? It was an honest mistake."

She looked away from him to the passing crowd, her arms still bound tightly atop her chest.

"What the hell are we gonna do Teej? Now the whole school knows."

"I know."

A moment of silence passed between the two before Spinelli looked back up to him.

"I guess Vince told you about what happened?" She asked weakly. He looked into her eyes and nodded.

"Did Gretchen tell you?" She nodded.

"Yea."

Another moment of silence passed before T.J. broke it this time.

"Maybe they'll forget by tomorrow."

Spinelli snorted. "Yea, right."

"And I'm sure not everyone knows."

She cocked an eyebrow.

"Yea, you're probably right." He said weakly.

They both sighed, a thought nagging at the back of their minds. They're sort of talking about it, should they press the topic further, or leave it as it is? This may be the farthest they've ever talked about it. Wanting to jump onto the opportunity, T.J. opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the chime of the bell. Letting out a sigh, Spinelli turned on her heel and started towards her next class.

"I'll see ya later Teej…"

He stood, watching her go, his shoulders limp. What had he done? Not only had he accidently made it publicly known of his virginity, but he dragged Spinelli with him. He just didn't understand the pressure of it all. Weren't they always taught to save it for someone special, and to only act upon it if they felt ready? Why were so many kids teasing and looking disapprovingly at them. Sure, some shared their looks of sympathy, but they were out reigned by those who swear that one's first priority is to have sex. He knew it would pass with time, and as long as he didn't feed into their teasing, they'd soon back off and forget. But he wasn't so sure with Spinelli. She was a strong woman who always stood up for herself. She had a high amount of pride that always left T.J. to respect her. But it's that same pride that could at times, like now, be her down fall. If she fed into every tease, they would never put it pass her. He just hopes that soon, her carelessness of what others thought of her would kick in, so that the whole ordeal could pass over sooner. But with her stubbornness, and a rep to protect, he doesn't see that happening for some time.

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Some days had passed, and for T.J., the teasing had stopped the day after the news got out. He was one of the more liked students, so not many wanted to make him feel crummy for his choices, much to the dismay of Lawson. As for Spinelli, though she was highly respected, there still was the female population that envied her simply for her boyfriend. And girls can be cruel creatures. Some giggled maliciously as she passed, some stuffed noted into her already cluttered lockers with lewd insults. One even went as far as to make a fake id labeled the "V card" and somehow managed to get a picture of Spinelli to print her face on it. Then there were others who respected her choice, and pulled her aside to praise her for her actions. But majority of them asked one thing. Why? Was she waiting to feel ready? Was she saving herself? Was it because she simply didn't want to? The majority of curiosity stemmed more towards Spinelli then T.J. as to why they haven't yet. As a guy, many assume that T.J. didn't have much of a say in it due to the girl, in this case Spinelli, typically being the one who made the ultimate choice of when and where.

It was now the fourth day since news broke out, and Spinelli stood before her locker, pulling out the newest batch of insulting notes. Rather than reading them, she simply crumbled them tighter in her grasp and tried to find as many as she could to throw away. Unfortunately, her notes were typically never in the best state, often leading her to grab wrong sheets of paper to throw out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a thin, short, awkward girl bound towards her. Looking up from her mess with lowered eyelids, she looked to the girl approaching her, and had a better observation of her appearance. She wore a long, white, skirt that reached to her ankles, black converse sneaking out from the bottom. She had a light blue polo, and long straight strawberry blonde hair that reached just to her mid back. In her arms she grasped a little, black, leather bound book, the front cover displaying a simple gold cross.

Sighing, Spinelli immediately recognized that this girl seemed heavy into the religion, and she stood waiting for the girl to speak.

"Hello there, my name is Brook Sheraton." She greeted, revealing teeth covered in multicolor brackets of braces.

"uhuh." Spinelli just said.

"And I'm here to invite you to our club! The club of God!"

"Oh jeeze" Spinelli let out, returning her attention to her locker.

"It has come to our observation that you're still a virgin. Congratulations on that! Quite a hard feat when partaking in a high school full of sinners."

"You've gotta be kidding me…" she murmured

"I just have one question to ask. Are you saving yourself in the name of the holy lord?"

Sighing, Spinelli straightened up then looked over to the short girl beside her.

"Look Becky-"

"Um, Brook…"

"Yea, whatever. My reason for not doing it is my business. I ain't not doing it for the lord, I ain't not doing it 'cause I'm waiting for marriage. I have my reason and it's my damn business, so bug off. And tell your other Jesus lovin' buddies to bug off. Three of them already tried to recruit me. I ain't doing it. Oh, and hail Satan."

With a smirk, Spinelli looked back into her locker as the "Jesus lover" looked over the dark haired beauty appalled. She began to fan herself with her hand as she walked off, silently saying a prayer to herself for the sinner to be saved. Spinelli simply chuckled, pulling out more sheets of papers before she was satisfied that she got them all.

"Hey Spin." A cheeky voice greeted from beside her. Looking up from the clump of papers in her grasp, she saw T.J. leaning against a locker with his hands shoved into the pockets of his green hoodie.

"Oh, hey Teej."

"How's it goin'?"

As he asked, two girls strolled past, one coughing out the virgin as she passed, followed by the two bursting into fits of laughter.

With lowered eyelids, Spinellis eyes followed the two girls retreating before looking back up to T.J.

"I dunno Teej. You tell me."

"Hey, at least it wasn't as bad as before." He reasoned.

"Yea, for you! Everyone likes you."

"Except Gordy." He mumbled, frowning with his eyes darting down.

"Let it go already. Everyone likes you, they can't tease good ole Teej. Me? They don't give a shit about me. Everyone thinks it's my fault we haven't done anything yet, just 'cause I'm the girl."

"C'mon Spin, you never care about what people think of you. You're your own woman, who doesn't let anyone influence you. You're strong, independent, and proud. But you're letting these guys put you down. I say you stop giving a crap about what they think of you, you're better than this. Screw what they think! Are you happy?"

Her eyebrows furrowed.

"What?"

"Are you happy?" He repeated.

"Well, yea." She shrugged.

"Good! So why let what some people say and do bother you? You're happy, and I'm happy, and Spin, I'm willing to wait an eternity until you're ready. Screw these guys." He offered her one of his charming smiles, and for the first time since the truth had broken out, she slipped into her own smile.

"Gee, thanks Teej."

As the two began to lean closer to one another, a group of teens walking past hollered at the two.

"Hey Spinelli! Stop being a prude and let him have it!"

Shooting her eyes open, a rage welled from within Spinelli, and with tight fists and thin patience, she yelled out.

"That's it! I can't take it anymore!" She cried, then taking a hold of T.J.s wrist, she began to lead him out to the double doors of the School.

"Uh, Spin? Where are we going?" He asked, mentally noting that the school day hasn't even ended yet.

Turning her head over her shoulders, her fiery eyes penetrated into his calm ones.

"We're going to do it." She said with determination, then faced forward again.

"What!?"

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Much to his dismay, and as hard as he fought, he had been dragged to a corner convenience store just blocks down the school. They stood before a shelf of condoms, Spinellis hands in her jacket as she watched him look at each of the products lined. This wasn't the way he wanted it to go. He persisted, argued, and scolded Spinelli on the way over, reminding her that she was doing just what he told her not to, letting others influence her. But she was stubborn. No, she said. She's had enough, she said. She feels the only way for the teasing to stop was if she actually took part of what everyone was pressuring her into. And though, technically, the teasing would stop because she would no longer be a virgin, she was only losing it out of spite. Now they stood, T.J. looking from one product to the other, comparing one brand from the next, wondering how the "hot n' cold" would feel in relation to the "ecstasy."

"I can't do this." He spoke.

"Yea ya can, just get one of the boxes and let's get out of here. If we hurry, we can make it to my house before my parents get home."

"No, Spinelli, I can't do this." He looked to her, then grabbed her hands into his own, his pristine blue eyes looking lovingly into her dark hazelnut eyes.

"You're letting all these people influence you. I get it can be annoying to be teased by this, but you're stronger than this. You're not ready, I know you're not. You're just caving in to all the crap they're saying. So what if we're virgins? What's the rush? I'm fine being a virgin! It's none of their business. We shouldn't be doing this just 'cause of what a couple of kids are saying. We've got time Spin, and I'm happy to wait for you. I want this moment to be special. I want to do it 'cause you love me, not because a couple of jerks are teasing you. I want our first time to be memorable, not just because we lost it, but because we lost it to each other, because we love each other. I'm happy the way we are, and I'll always be happy with you Spinelli. I don't want you to feel pressured or rushed. I want you to feel ready."

She stood speechless. Given their history and having dated a long time, they're more of best friends then they are boyfriend and girlfriend. Though it happens, they rarely share a moment of such deep love and affection for each other. Not being the romantic type, Spinelli was never really into the mushy gushy crap. So it was the rare moments like these that really made her heart feel light. It added to the specialty of the moment. She felt his grip tighten on her hands, and she looked down at them, an over whelming feeling of being loved and cared for welling up within her. He pulled one of his hands away from the grasp and pulled her chin up to look at him, his lip curled into a sly grin.

"Promise me we'll only do it when you're ready."

Her plump lips curled into a small smile, and still at loss for words, she nodded her head. With his smile broadening, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, feeling her own grin widen with his lips. They slowly pulled away, his hand still on her chin while the other still held her own hands.

"Ya still have to show me how to make the glitter cannon."

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Spinelli sat in just a T-shirt and small shorts on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest as she clenched tightly on her Mr. Monk Monk. It had been 6 days since Lawson wreaked havoc into Spinellis life, and the teasing and questioning had gone down significantly. But it was within this past week that a thought had constantly popped into her mind, and it was a question that so many asked.

Why?

What exactly was she waiting for? Even she didn't know exactly. Was it because she was still fearful of the future? How long was she holding tightly to keep the last of her innocence? She was growing up, whether she liked it or not. And changes were coming, some she anticipated, and others out of surprise. She simply couldn't be holding out the rest of her life just because of her dread of what was to come. She thought back to Gretchen's constant lectures, about colleges and choices and our future. It was only a matter of time, and not thinking about it isn't going to slow it down from coming. She thought back to her child hood days. Days that were often worry free, filled with play on the kickball field or the anticipation for maul ball. The most a kid had to worry about was getting the good ball or keeping out of Finsters wrath. How she often missed the simplicity that was her life. She thought back to her teachers, classmates, and friends. Friends she was happy to say she was still with 'till that day. Friends that she grew up with, and will keep growing with. Friends, that even amidst all the change puberty has brought them, they still managed to stay close.

She sighed, then looked out her window towards an off white house 3 doors down. A lit window stood out in the night air, and she could vaguely see his Silhouette as he hunched over his computer desk, possibly studying for his oncoming history test with Mr. Harrison, but chances are he was reading the latest Senor Fusion. She smiled softly to herself. One of the bigger changes that ever occurred in her life was going out of her comfort zone to date T.J. Before the two finally went out, she had held out, not wanting to risk any break out between the two. She remembered her younger self, dreading the future the way she was now. Except all her younger self had to worry was whether she should risk dating her best friend. Now, she worried if she should give up her virginity to him.

Then, it struck her. Why was she worried? The future was inevitable. Changes are always bound to happen, for better or worse. And if she were to make a big change in her life, who better than her own best friend.

The best friend, who after a broken tooth from a punch to the face, still accepted her as a friend back when they were in kindergarten. The best friend, who laughed alongside her when she spelled her name wrong the summer she and the rest carved their names into the tree by the pond in the second grade. The best friend, who consoled her to her best abilities when she had received news that her older brother had once again gotten himself into jail. The very best friend she shared her first kiss with due to the possible horror that kids might actually like kissing. The only best friend she's ever kissed. And, hopefully, ever will.

She should consider herself lucky, having so much history with him. Not just for the history, but for the individual he is. He's always been there, to support her for the good and bad. He's always lent a helping hand in time of need, and a comforting hand atop of her shoulder for times of comfort. She knew she had loved him, but the other day at the convenience store, was a time she realized just how much he loved her back. She's known he's loved her, and never doubted it. But that conversation, it somehow struck her. She loved him, and he loved her. And whether he has to wait 2 days or 20 years, he'll be there for her with patience, because he didn't want her to feel rushed, or pressured, or obligated to, because just like her, he was waiting for the special moment.

She should feel fortunate she had grown up so much with him. So, this was just another way for them to take the next big step together. And rather than feeling dread like she had the previous days, she suddenly felt…

Ready.

She grinned. She felt ready. She was ready to make the next big step. She was ready to grow and blossom with T.J. She was ready to give up her last bit of innocence, so long as they do it together.

She was ready to give herself up to T.J.

She looked back over through her window into his and saw he was still studying, or she at least thinks he is. Filled with sudden excitement, she jumped from her bed and crept over to her door, silently locking it. She sat on her bed and slipped on the combat boots she grew so well into, and with a click of the light switch, she flicked the overhead light off and snuck over to the window.

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T.J. sat hunched over his wooden desk. His eyes scrolled through the latest Senor Fusion comic that lay over what he should be studying for his upcoming history test. He picked his hand up to turn the page until a small tap repeated on the window. Curious, he stood up from his seat and walked over, immediately taking notice of Spinelli supporting herself on a tree branch that hung near. He pulled the window up and taking her hand he moved aside to let her in.

"Spinelli, what are you doing here?" he asked as he closed the window behind her.

She strolled over to his desk and looked down at the propped open comic, a smirk playing at her lips.

"To talk." She said simply.

"Is everything okay?" He asked warily.

She wasn't sure how to start. Bound up in her own excitement, she had forgotten to think about what exactly she should say. Pulling her attention away from the comic, she made her way to his bed and sat, pulling off her boots as she did so.

"Spin?" He asked again.

"Look Teej, I just… I just wanted to say sorry for how I've been acting. Guess I just let them get to me." She shrugged. He sat beside her and took her hands in his.

"No, Spin, I'm sorry. I should've just kept my mouth shut. If I hadn't said anything, none of this would have happened."

"Well, I mean, it's kinda good it did, 'cause I've done a lot of thinkin'…" She trailed.

"Yea?"

"Yea, and I mean, first I was kinda embarrassed and pressured, with all these kids teasin' me and junk. I wasn't ready, and I didn't think I would be for a while. To be honest, I guess I was kinda scared. I was scared that maybe we'd regret it, and we'd break up or somethin'. And it's a big step. But the more I thought of it, the more I realized that hey, it's okay to be a little scared sometimes. But teej, if there was any person in the world I'd want to do this with, I'd want it to be with you." She looked up into his eyes, and offering a weak smile she finished.

"Teej… I'm ready."

His eyes widened as he felt his heart race within his chest.

"Really? A-a-are you sure?"

She nodded, her smile widening from her amusement at his reaction.

"You're not doing this 'cause you feel pressured or anything, right?" He made sure.

She pulled her hands from his grasp and rose from the bed. She walked over to the door and turned the lock in place with a click. His eyes followed her as she walked from the door to his desk and flicked the lamp off, leaving the only source of light to be from the moon that shone outside. He felt his heart quicken, and his palms become moist. He had just now noticed her attire, with her large shirt hanging just below his buttocks, barely revealing the short black shorts that fit snug around her hip and upper thighs, leaving him to only become more excited and nervous at the same time.

She returned to her spot on the bed, though sat much closer to the hormone filled boy. Her dark eyes looked deep into his light ones and she smiled.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded his head, his wide eyes searching hers.

"Are you sure you are?"

She offered her own nod, then she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his. She slid her arms around his neck as he snaked hers around her waist. The kiss, though sweet and gentle at first, grew into that of passion and hunger. Slowly, Spinelli pulled him, forcing him to lay atop her. Their kiss deepened, each taking a turn to remove one article of clothing. Soon they found themselves laying beneath his thick blue sheets, and for the first time that night, they parted away from each other's kiss. His arms sat on each side of Spinellis head, supporting his weight as he elevated above her. He looked her over, then looked back into her eyes, asking once more of her certainty, to which she nodded with pursed lips. Taking a deep breath, he was beginning to guide himself, until a thought popped into his mind.

"Wait." He whispered.

"What?"

He frowned. "We don't have a condom."

She let out a sigh as she looked over to her side with furrowed brows, deep in thought. He let his propped arms go weak and he simply laid on top of her, his own attention on the opposite direction with his own sigh escaping his lips.

"We don't need one." He heard her whisper. He pulled his head up and looked directly down at her, his own brows now scrunched.

"What?"

"We don't need one." She repeated.

"Spinelli, are ya nuts? We can't just not use one. Ya know what could happen?"

"Yea, but, I mean. It's our first time, so obviously none of us got any diseases, and I mean c'mon, what are the chances that I end up pregnant?"

His face contorted into that of disapproval as the corner of his lip curled.

"Spinelli…"

"C'mon Teej! We can't just stop now. And, I mean, if anything, maybe us not using anything could make it more special. Like, it's all natural." She shrugged, bringing her hand up to brush his bangs back.

His eyes still remained on her, the consequences reeling through his mind. Had he not been filled with so much hormonal excitement, he'd stop the two immediately and demand to wait until they had the appropriate protection. But as she lay bare beneath him, her tanned skin glimmering in the natural moon light as her loose hair caressed her face and laid sprawl upon his pillow, he couldn't help but want to take her for himself, to share his love in the best way he knew how as they each would explore each other in ways they've never done before. Before he could regain his common sense, she snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him into another deep kiss, his bangs brushing along her forehead. He felt her leg caress against his own, forcing his heart into another quick pace. Loosening her grip, he pulled apart, his eyes looking back into hers and she smirked up at him with half closed lids, looking to him seductively.

"You play a very convincing argument Miss. Spinelli." He whispered with a boyish grin. The two closed the little space between them with another kiss of passion, and before he knew what he was doing, he slowly felt himself explore her. Her grip tightened on his hair on the back of his head as her eyes tightened. Feeling her suddenly become tense, he quickly pulled apart from the kiss and looked down at her with wide eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine, just hurts is all."

"What? Spinelli I'm sorry I'll sto-"

"No." She demanded. "It's okay, it's supposed to."

"Are you sure?" He asked with worry.

Nodding, she pulled him into another kiss, and cautiously he explored more. Her tight grip slowly faltered, and soon her low moans of pain were quickly substituted with that of pleasure. Their breaths escalated as their pulses raced, a feeling of adrenaline and excitement surging through their veins. They kept their muffled sounds of pleasure to a minimal as to not wake the others present in the household, though it proved difficult. Spinelli felt the last bit of her innocence whisk away with her childhood friends, and for once, she was okay with it. With arched backs and hot breaths, their night continued well on to the late hour.

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A ray of sunshine penetrated through the glass plane, slowly making its way up to the horizon. The bright light hit Spinellis closed eyes, and slowly she forced them open, greeted by the sight of the rising sun towards the east. She lay with an arm draped over T.J.s bare chest, rising and falling with each slow breath, and his arm laying beneath the crook of her neck. She slowly turned to look behind her at the digital clock that sat atop the night stand, and read 6:17 in bright red numbers. Groaning, she rolled back around and pulled herself closer to the sleeping boy. Her dark eyes roamed up to his face, following that traces of freckles that dashed across his round nose and slightly round cheeks. She smiled to herself, recalling the events from the night before. She had lost her virginity, and with that the last bit of her innocence. And she was okay with it.

"Teej." She whispered. He lay still and quiet, and she tried again, slightly louder.

"Teej."

"5 more minutes…" He groaned as a response.

She rolled her eyes then pulled herself up and out the bed, slipping on each article of clothing that was thrown to the ground.

"I gotta go Teej." She said. Feeling the sudden warmth gone from his body and arm, he looked up and watched as Spinelli began to redress. He sat up and outstretched his arms, letting out a long yawn before he slumped back into a seating position.

"Do you really have to?"

"Yes Teej, gotta get back before my parents notice I'm gone." She responded as she slipped one boot on.

"I had fun last night." He said with his usual cheekiness. As she slipped on her other boot, she looked over her shoulder at him and offered a smile.

"Me too."

As she began towards the window, he grabbed hold of her hand then pulled her back onto the bed, forcing her to sit sideways on top his lap, and he pressed his lips against hers, the two sharing another deep kiss with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. When the two slowly pulled apart, a smirk caressed T.J.s face as he looked down at the messy haired girl.

"You don't regret it, right?" He asked hesitantly.

She shook her head no then pecked at his lips once more before pulling herself off his lap. She approached the window and forced it open, putting one leg out.

"Spinelli?"

She looked to him. "Yea teej?"

He smiled. "I love ya."

She smiled. "Love ya too Teej."

With that, she grabbed hold of the near branch and pulled herself out, having the courtesy to close the window before beginning her ascension down the tree.

He sat still on his bed, his lower half still beneath the thick, cotton filled sheets. His smile never left his face, as his eyes remained on where she sat on the window. He reminisced on the previous night's events, and with the thought his smile grew wider.

T.J. Detweiler was no longer a virgin. And the best part? He lost it to his love, his best friend, his Ashley Spinelli.

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"Who'd have known that from that one night, you'd be here?" T.J. asked meekly. He looked to the bundle nestled in his arms and noticed that his usual light eyes now rested peacefully, his squirming had subsided some time ago. He stroked at the sleeping child's soft cheek, then with caution, he raised the child slightly at an angle and laid a soft kiss on his forehead.

He rose up slowly from the seat and walking across the room, he slowly lowered the baby onto his back into the clear crib. The baby shifted a bit, but he remained at peace. T.J. stood for some time, looking down at the calm child. When convinced that the baby would stay asleep, he crept over to the bed and noticed that there was space for him behind Spinellis curled back. Slowly, he pulled the white sheets and lowered himself into the bed beside her. He shifted so that he was close enough, then wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into a tight embrace as he laid his head on the pillow just behind her.

"T.J.?" He heard her call softly.

"Yea Spin?"

She smiled. "I love ya."

He smiled. "Love ya too Spin."

She relaxed in his embrace, and soon, the two drifted off into a deep slumber.

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Soooooooooo? How'd you like it!? I know, kinda long, pretty detailed, but expect a lot of chapters to be like this. You all know the drill. I can only go on if I know people like this. And how do I know? You review. Review review review.

Review.


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